In their latest podcast Niall Dickson and Roy Lilley are joined by former health secretary, foreign secretary, and chancellor,  Sir Jeremy Hunt. 

In a fascinating insight, reflecting on his years in power, Sir Jeremy reveals how terrified he was to find himself responsible for the NHS knowing nothing much beyond his own constituency issues.

Over time he says he learned how to work the system to secure more resources for the NHS from the Treasury.  He says being Foreign Secretary was great fun and you were not blamed for anything, while being health secretary was a privilege, but you were blamed for everything. 

He feels that having NHS England as an arm’s length body worked during his time, and that Wes Streeting needs to be careful what he wishes for in ordering its abolition.

Sir Jeremy admits cuts to social care went too far in 2010 and says he wanted to do more but was moved on before he could follow up his 2019 NHS cash injection. 

He remains passionate about patient safety and calls for no fault medical negligence, the abolition of all NHS targets and a single budget at local level for older people receiving NHS and social care services. 

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In this podcast on social care reform with Niall Dickson and Roy Lilley,  Sir Andrew Dilnot, the former Director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies pulls no punches when it comes to the missed opportunities of successive governments. 

As the author of the definitive 2014 report on social care reform, he shows his frustration and dismay at this government’s failure to tackle a crisis that is now leaving millions of vulnerable older people without the support they need, and at the same time crippling the NHS.  And Sir Andrew reveals how, if only Boris Johnson had remained Prime Minister for a little longer, serious reform could have been achieved. He points out that the extra demand for social care is a fantastic achievement created by longer lives but argues that there is a need for a  change in public attitudes and for government to grow up and get on with it. If they don’t, he predicts they will not deal with the challenges facing the NHS.

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What happens when a leading banker groomed in the disciplines and attitudes of the private sector finds himself in charge of the NHS in England? 

Surely he will be highly sceptical at least, suspicious and critical at best? 

But no - the story of Richard Meddings the outgoing NHS England Chair is of a Damascene conversion. 

In this podcast with Niall Dickson and Roy Lilley, Richard reveals himself as an arch defender of the NHS at every level including the achievements of the about to be abolished NHS England.

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